Reversing driving mechanism.



mm l n J. H. GORMAN.

EEVERSING DRIVING MEGHANIS'M.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1913.

'atented Bec. Si), i913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Suomi-fio@ @XM/kwamen Vadim lilla REVEBSING- DRVING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

`Be it known that-l, JOHN H. Gomma?, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Salisbury, county of Rowan, State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing Driving Mechanism, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference heing had to the accompanying drawings, in which"- Figure l is a sideelevation partly in section of one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is asimilar view of another form of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. f2; Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view through adjoining ends of the drive shaft sections shown in lFig. 1; and Fig. 5 a` diagram, greatly reduced, showing vthe form of mechanism illustrated in Fig. l applied to a washing machine.

rlhis invention has relation to that class of mechanisms adapted to rotate a shaft or member positively in one direction and then, after the shaft or member has rotated a predetermined degree or. number of revolutions, reverse the shaft or member and rotate it in the opposite direction-to the same extent; and the object of this invention is to especially adapt this type of reversing mechanism for use on laundry washing machines, to the end that the mechanism will be positive and absolutely accurate in operation, noiseless, strong and durable, safe, of neat appearance, economical as to construction and 11p-keep which will require little attention and be removed out of the way of the operatives and will require small space, and which will eliminate, in aA large measure all danger of accidents to the operatives or attendants.

The particular embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated in Figs. l, 4 and, 5 of the accompanying drawings is adapted for use on thatI type of washers which embodies a long horizontal cylindrical casing and the shaft extending therethrough and provided with a gear wheel at. each end of the shaft, the shaft being attached to a perforated clothes carrying cylinder within Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 5, lSlS.

lltatented Dec. 30, NH3.

Serial No. 752,34.

the ycasing.` ln the lraw'ing I have shown the casing'by the letter ct and also the gears by thelet/t The letter c designates the usual intermediate gear which transmits motion from one of the driving gears t0 one of the gears on the washer shaft. l have adapted this type ofy mechanism to be mounted stationarily upon-the upper side of the casing cylinder. the two supporting pcdestals d being arranged to be fastened to The driving shaft of my mechanismconsists of a central section e and two end sections f, these latter sections e7 being journaled in suitable bearingsin the yaforesaid pedestals '6d' the casing at the opposite ends of the same. l

and each carrying a drivinggear g at its alinement therewith by means o f pins L.

which are respectively aflixed in the ends of the sections f and enter corresponding axial holes in .the ends of the shaft sect-ion e, whereby all three sections of the shafting are /held in alinement and are permitted to rotate independentlyof each other. The ends of the shaft sections abut interposed washers 2, and a suitable bushing 3 may be aiiiXed in each end ofthe shaft e to` afford a suitable hearing for the coupling pin h.

Upon the `central shaft e is `mountedv a loose pulley .1I and closely adjacent to the same is affixed tight pulley y'. Slidably mounted on each end of the central shaft e is a clutch member It', the connection with the shaft being secured by one or more 'keys or feathers Z so that while these clutch members may slide independently ofthe shaft they l pelled to rotate with it. Each clutch member n is normally pressed toward its companion member by means of a coil'sprmg y? which surrounds a hub g on the clutch mem-` neously shifted by means of a slidable rod s,

and this rod s is adapted to be shifted alternately by means of the following devices: Upon the central shaft c is affixed a worm t, which meshes with worm gear u affixed on a suitable stub shaft whose axis is arranged above and at right angles to the axis of the shaft c. fiixed to the gear u is a pin 'u which works in a slot w formed in a depending lever a1, which lever is suitably pivoted on the frame and has its upper end pivotally connected to the rod s. Tith this mechanism it Will be observed thatthe continuous rotationv of the shaft c in one direction will cause the lever to vibrate regularly on its pivot, and this movement of the lever Will cause the clutch forks m to swing alternately in opposite directions and thus alternately throw the clutches into and out of action. This shifting of the clutches will cause the coupled clutches to be alternately rotated in the same direction, and the power will be transmitted from the 4gears g to the driven shaft or member by the gears b and c heretofore described or by any suitable mechanism. It will be understood that to start or stop the machine the belt is to be shifted from one pulley to the other by any suitable hand belt shifter, which is not shown in `Fig. 1 of my drawing. It will be observed that the washers i2 project beyond the faces of the shaft sections suiiiciently to form stops to limit. the inward movement of the outer clutch members.

.A feature of great importance lies in the employment of the duplicate friction clutches, one member of each clutch being normally pressed toward its companion member, together with automatic clutch shifting mechanism whereby during the continuous rotation of the drive shaft in one direction the clutches are alternately put into engagement so as to thereby alternately rotate the driving gears g in the same direction. It is alsol essential that the gears r/ shall be always in positive mesh with gears on a driven shaft, suchas the horizontal shaft of the washing machine, so that through'the medium of this driven shaft and whatever intermediate lgears may be employed that one of the `driving gears g which is for the moment outof direct driving connection with the drive or fast pulley shaft shall be rotated in a directionopposite to that in which the direct-driving one of the gears g irs rotated, whereby it is possible to utilize the clutch members of this indirectly driven gear g as a brake to slowly bring the driven -or washing machine shaft to a stop before it is reversed. This action is brought about as follows: lVhen either clutch member 7c is disengaged from its spring actuated companion, the instant after complete disengagement occurs, the other clutch member begins to engage its companion spring actuated member and this engagement affords a frictional braking action on the shaft carried by the spring actuated member. This frictienal braking action increases gradually with the increased tension of the spring until the shaft comes to a stop; whereupon the two clutch members start to rotate in the opposite direction. At the beginning of this rotation in the opposite direction there is a slipping action lbetween the clutches which continues until the clutches are brought together under the maximum pressure of the spring, and this slipping action results in a gradual starting of the driven shaft with each reversal thereof. There is also a slipping action between eachv pair of clutch members as thesame begin their disengaging movement and this slipping-action assists the braking action in the opposite pair of clutches to bring the driven shaft to a stand-still prior to reversal.

lilith my construction friction, noise, wear in the gears, and torque of the shafting are reduced to a minimum; and furthermore my mechanism insures a uniform number of revolutions in both directions, this being obtained by elimination of danger of slipping of the belt on the drive pulley and by the automatic slowing down to stopping position and the slow starting upon each reversal. By insuring an exact number of revolutions in each direction and by the gradual starting and stopping, it will be seen that the'clothes in the cylinder or" the washer are agitated in a perfect manner, being prevented from being tangled or balled.

It kwill be seen also that by the employment of the slow worm gear shift-ing means and the spring actuated clutches l increase thegripping power of the clutches and thus produce positive action in the mechanism, and by the use of the thrust collars 7' l prevent all undue thrust againstthe bearings in the pedestals.

llit will be seen that when the belt is shiftv i as the life of the mechanism.

plete rest, whereby the mechanism is saved from unnecessary wear, the mechanism being in action only when the washing and rinsing ,isbeing done notwithstanding the fact that persons experienced in the operation of large laundry washing machines.

In Fig. 2 I have shown lmy improved gearing brought into a more compact arrangement especially adapting it for use as an end drive, that is, for attachment to one end of the washing machine casing instead of mounting it on top of the casing as shown in F ig. l. In this view a part of the casing is shown at a and the two gears b carried by the washing machine shaft are shown by dotted lines. 'The intermediate gear is shown at c and is journaled on a bracket d cast-integral with the frame or adapted to be fastened to the washing machine casing. The. live shaft e is ou'rnaled in the pedestals Z which pedcstals are carried by the aforesaid bracket or frame cl.

The two driving gears g are mounted on the same side of the fast pulley .and they are affixed to two tubular shafts or sleeves f mountedto rotate freely on the live shaft, one abutting against the fast pulley and the other against a collar r affixed to the live shaft and adapted to abut against one of the pedestal journal boxes. The external members fn, of the two clutches are slidably and non-rotatably mounted on the sleeve shafts f and they are normally pressed toward each other by the coil springs p.

Slidably and non-rotatably fastened to the live shaft 'e by keys l at a point between the two clutch members n is a double cllitch member k which is in effect a consolidation of the two internal clutch members 7c, having oppositely inclined internal faces adapted to respectively frictionally engage the correspondingly beveled internal faces of the outer clutch members n. To shift the double clutch member lc from `one clutch member n to the other I employ any suitable Ineans, preferably a rod a extending axially into the end vof the live shaft and adapted to slide freely therein but to rotate with the shaft, the inner end of this rod being connected to the clutch member `by a suitable pin ,e which.4 works through slots in shaft e. The outer end of'thev rod a is connected to one'of the shifting 'forms m.-

The inner ends of the keys Z are turned radially outward and the coinciding' faces of the spring actuated clutch members are recessed to receive these extensions Z2, whereby these radiaiextensions of the keys form stops to limit the inward movement of these clutch members.

It will be observed that in Ithis construc- 'I l. In combination, three independentlyrotatable shaft sections co-axially arranged, means for driving one section continuously in oneJ direction and means for alternately' driving the other sections in the same direction consisting of two friction clutches each consisting of two frictional members and means for resiliently pressing one of the members toward the other, means for automatically shifting the non-spring-pressed members of the clutches, a driven shaft, and gearing connecting the same with the alternately-driven sections.

2., In combination,` three independentlyrotatable co-axially arranged sections, means for driving one of the sections continuously in one direction, means for alternately connecting up the other sections to said section, said means involving the employment of two friction clutches and means for shifting them, a driven shaft, and gearing positively lconnecting said driven shaft to said alternately driven sections, whereby when one of the intermittently driven sections is positively driven from the` continuously driven section the other alternately driven sectionwill be indirectly driven in the opposite direction.

3. In combination, three independently-l rotatable co-axially-arranged shaft-sections, means for driving one of the sections continuously in one direction, Imeans for alternately connecting up the other sections to said section, said means involving the employment of two friction clutches and means for shifting them, a-driven shaft, and gearing positively connecting said driven shaft to the alternately-driven sections, whereby when one of said alternately-driven sections is positively driven from 'the continualdriven section the other section will be indirectly driven lin the opposite direction, each of said clutches consisting of a positively shifted friction member and a springpressed friction member, for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination, three independentlyrotatable shaft sections, means for driving one of the sections continuously in one direction, friction clutches for intermittently y wenn@ and lternately connecting up the otherseo tions to said continuously driven section, automatic means for simultaneously Shift ing the clutches embodying av wenn affixed to the continuously driven section7 e Worm gen1' meshing herewith, and means Connected to the Worm gear for ateinaely opeim` ing the Clutches, and a driven shaft posiivev geaed 'to each of said alternatelyshaft-seeons. l0 n testimony whereof I hereunto aX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN H. GGRMAN. "fitnesses Tios. SMITH. W. G. MCDANIEL. 

